SEO is a game of strategy. It’s about knowing how to beat the competition by finding their weakness and using that as your leverage. It doesn’t end there, though. A good SEO strategy is also about knowing your place, and the best way to start is by checking keyword rankings.

Venturing into the world of digital marketing isn’t possible without keywords. These connect users to businesses, and one business to another. As a site owner, your aim is to rank for those keywords, so that you become the answer to the query of your target visitors.

But, how do you know that you are ranking for terms relevant to your business? Start by:

Evaluating Your Current Keyword List

If the keywords on your current list are not showing up on the first ten pages and you have done your on- and off-page optimization, look for other keyword opportunities. This clearly indicates that your current keywords are not delivering the results you’re aiming for.

The success of any SEO campaign largely depends on the keywords you select. You don’t guess which keywords to use for your campaign; thorough analysis and evaluation are key to knowing whether the keywords you’re targeting are working to your advantage.

To evaluate your current keyword list, focus on these two metrics:

Frequency of usage – How often do search users use your keywords in a query?

Competition – How many sites are ranking for the same term that you’re targeting?

Based on these two metrics, you need to choose keywords that drive traffic to your site but are not too competitive. Why do you need to focus on less competitive terms? It’s simple — keywords that have a high competition require more work if you want to rank for them.

Let’s say you have a keyword that gets 300,000 monthly searches, but with thousands of other sites ranking for it. You can rank for that term, but you might only get a small percentage of the search volume because of the high competition.

Instead of wasting your effort and time trying to rank for a keyword with high competition, go for the low hanging fruit. Because there’s less competition, it’s easier to rank for them. With a few tweaks here and there, you might even get into the top five positions.

Looking at Search Trends

When you check for keyword rankings, do you also look at search trends? If not, now’s the time to start digging into it.

Analyzing search trends provide you with valuable insight on popular search terms. Most of these are seasonal searches, like holiday-oriented queries. Trending topics also fall under search trends — think of the Oscars and other global events that attract attention.

Why look at search trends? It’s easier to get traction if you know how your keywords are performing over time. This also helps you compare multiple keywords and determine seasonal spikes for these particular terms. You’ll be able to counter traffic dips and gain leverage in case of an increase in search activity.

You can use Google Trends to look at consumer behavior as they browse the web. Here’s an example:

Using a Rank Checker – Start with Siteoscope

The great thing about checking keyword rankings is you don’t have to do it manually. You can use a rank checker to find out how your keywords are performing. Because there are different rank checkers available today, you need to find one that provides you with the metrics you need.

What to Look for in a Rank Checker

○ Accuracy – You’re checking how your domain is doing in terms of ranking for your keywords. Of course, you want the tool to show accurate results, so you know where to concentrate your efforts on when boosting Google rankings.
○ Local results – Local search is important in building your domain authority and relevance in your target niche. Appearing in local searches secures your spot as an option for those in your immediate vicinity.
○ Fast – The rank checking tool should not take minutes to load. You want speedy and comprehensive results.
○ Competitor evaluation – It’s one thing to know how you rank in the search engine results pages. But, getting information about your competitors is going the extra mile. This helps you come up with better marketing strategies for your website.

Any decent keyword rank checker can do the basics: show you how your keywords are doing in the rankings and help you curate better strategies to improve your current position in the SERPs. What you should consider is whether you’re getting the most out of the keyword rank checker.

The more available features, the better — and this is something innate in Siteoscope. With this website performance monitoring tool, you can measure the success of your keywords, consolidate data, and find actionable touchpoints to make your site rank higher.

Final Thoughts

Knowing where your site currently stands in terms of keywords provides your strategy with a clearer direction. This allows you to break free from a saturated market, build a stronger online presence, and make sure you’re reaching the right audience for the keywords you’re using.